Business
The US Air Force has released a request for information notice requesting sense-and-avoid technologies for large RPAs – Predators and Global Hawks – though the notice said that respondents are encouraged to include sense and avoid technologies for smaller RPA such as the hand-launched Wasp and Raven. The goal
Theiss UAV Solutions has unveiled EXCIPIO, a non-destructive unmanned aircraft that launches a net to capture drones and other targets. While in earlier versions of EXCIPIO drones that were shot of out the air fell to the ground, a new version features a tether that attaches the netted target
Commercial
SimActive Inc., a developer of photogrammetry software, has announced the purchase of multiple Correlator3 licenses by SNCF. The software is used in conjunction with UAVs from Delair-Tech, SimActive’s partner. The collaboration between SimActive and Delair-Tech brings an unparalleled high-end solution to the drone mapping industry. The
Research
In an effort to build—and control—ever smaller drones, researchers have been looking at how insects navigate. Insects use a technique called optical flow, based on the apparent speed of objects passing by in their field of vision. In fact, humans use optical flow to give us a sense
Military
The US Army aviation chief, Maj. Gen. Michael Lundy, wants to spend the service’s shrunken aircraft acquisition budget — down about 40 percent over the past three years — on manned rather than unmanned aircraft. After all, this is the Army. “We’ve got a lot of unmanned stuff out there,
Law Enforcement
Saab will deliver three UAV systems to the Swedish Police. Each system comprises air vehicles equipped with day/night sensors and a ground station, plus spare parts, consumables, documentation, training and technical support. The contract will be in effect from 2016 to 2018. The remote-controlled UAV system selected by
Regulations
Two California lawmakers have introduced two separate bills this week that would further regulate drones in America’s most populous state. If passed, one of the new state laws would require "tiny physical or electronic license plates" and inexpensive insurance, among other requirements. A second bill would compel
Business
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $57,401,850 undefinitized contract action for MQ-9 contractor logistics support. Work will be performed at Poway, California and multiple overseas locations, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2017. This contract is 100-percent foreign
Electronic Sub-Systems
Sentera LLC and the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering have developed a high-precision autopilot toolkit for use with unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The toolkit’s hardware and software are now available under a broad open-source license. The UAS Autopilot Development Toolkit integrates into current and
Propulsion
EnergyOr Technologies Inc., a supplier of advanced PEM fuel cell systems for aerospace applications, has demonstrated the world’s longest multi-rotor drone flight in real-world operating conditions. On December 16th , 2015, EnergyOr’s H2Quad 400 flew for over two hours while recording 4K video, using a 3-axis
Regulations
Preparing for Autonomous Vehicles in Canada. Recommendations for enabling the introduction of autonomous vehicles in Canada have been put forward to the federal government by the Canadian Automated Vehicles Center of Excellence (CAVCOE). Notably, the Ontario government has demonstrated clear leadership in its ambitions to embrace the potential of automated
Propulsion
KDE Direct, a provider of motors and electronics for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), has announced the release of its new flagship technology product, the 8218XF-120 (HE) Multi-Rotor Brushless Motor. Specifically designed for commercial and industrial applications, the 8218XF-120 has the strength and technology necessary for heavy lift